... period. Findings – Lean has evolved to be one of the best-known, yet fiercely debated, process improvement methodologies. It emerged during a proliferation of such methodologies in the business and management literature. Lean has developed from a generic description of Toyota Production System (TPS...

...Ben Clegg, Jillian MacBryde and Prasanta Dey; Mattias Elg; Klara Palmberg Broryd; Beata Kollberg Purpose – The purpose of this study is to contribute to the knowledge base on how performance measurement drives improvements in healthcare practice. Design/methodology/approach – The study...

...Rodney McAdam; Brian Bailie The aim of this paper is to explore the longitudinal alignment between performance measures and business strategy. Moreover, the paper will probe the role of business improvement models as a key catalyst in this alignment process. Since the late 1980s performance...

...Paul F. Skilton; Kevin Dooley This paper develops theory about the relationship between innovation and productivity improvements when technological knowledge is mature. By combining theory about organizational learning and the development of technological knowledge hypotheses concerning innovation...

...; we found several alternatives to the formal top‐down planning process. Manufacturers use one or more of the following alternatives with or without the top‐down manufacturing strategy process: a coherent pattern of actions; manufacturing/process improvement programs; or the pursuit of core...

...Giovani Da Silveira; Nigel Slack The concept of the “trade‐off” is increasingly seen as central to operations strategy because it forms the foundation of how we conceptualise the improvement process. A case‐based methodology is employed to explore managers’ cognition regarding the idea...

...Khim L. Sim This study tests the interactive effects of successive incremental improvement techniques (i.e. total quality management (TQM) and just‐in‐time (JIT)). In addition, observations were made with respect to how technological innovations were managed in conjunction with the implementation...

..., longitudinal basis the role of strategic priorities and past experience in driving the selection of manufacturing improvement programmes. A completely aligned selection is expected when the choice of the improvement programme is coherent with both the change in manufacturing priorities and the past experience...

.... This yields an understanding of the contingencies which render the design, control and improvement of different service processes appropriate. Strategic implications of the service process model are considered. It is contended that cost effective services will be positioned along the volume‐variety diagonal...

... should attempt to attain WCM status. To justify the proposals, it presents some case study evidence giving two examples of companies that have remained job shops and explaining how one of them has nonetheless made substantial improvements in performance and practice. Factory layout Improvement Make...

...Roberto Filippini; Cipriano Forza; Andrea Vinelli Looks at the improvement initiatives which companies implement in operations, in the areas of design, supply and production. A number of initiatives are considered, including design computerization, flexible automation, linkages with suppliers...

...Richard McIntosh; Steve Culley; Graham Gest; Tony Mileham; Geraint Owen Discusses the derivation of current changeover improvement methodologies from the work of the Japanese engineer/consultant Shigeo Shingo. Argues that under the interpretation and widespread adoption of the single minute...

...Stephen J. New Presents a classification scheme which allows the interpretation of supply chain improvement initiatives. While there is an abundance of anecdotal evidence, there is little systematic theoretical development in the field. This is partly because of the many different ways in which co...

... a methodology for identifying the main impeders to improvements being made with respect to these particular areas of strategic concern. © MCB UP Limited 1995 Efficiency Improvement Manufacturing strategy Methodology Operational audit Operations Strategic planning In many companies...

...S.A. Blenkinsop; N. Burns Performance measurement systems, traditionally found within the management accounting function and utilized for information and control purposes, have more recently been used within the manufacturing function as the basis for on‐going improvement programmes, particularly...

...Arnoud De Meyer; Kasra Ferdows Today, to improve productivity in manufacturing, one has a large variety of improvement programmes at one′s disposal. Zero defects, value analysis, just‐in‐time, manufacturing lead time reduction are just a few of a long list of potential action programmes. Their real...

... of the cycle time as a function of the nature of the item produced and the length of interruption. © MCB UP Limited 1987 Learning Forgetting Improvement 80 Technical Paper: Incorporating Forgetting into Learning Curves by Shlomo Globerson and Nissan Levin Tel Aviv University, Israel Received...